Former Democratic state Rep. Karen Middleton on Monday withdrew her name from consideration for a run in the 6th Congressional District — a move that, for now, leaves no primary challengers to former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff who announced his candidacy earlier this month.

Former state Rep. Karen Middleton.

Middleton told The Denver Post that because of the McCain–Feingold Act — a federal campaign finance law — there would be a conflict with her potential candidacy and her current role as president of the 527 political organization Emerge America.

“I’m not going to leave this organization,” said Middleton. “And if I were to run for office I would be subjecting the organization to limits on fundraising that are similar to what candidates face.”

Middleton would not make any endorsement Monday, though she said she would like to see a woman run for the seat and will work tirelessly to help elect more women to Congress.

“That’s what my organization strives to do and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Middleton said.

Andrew Romanoff, the former Democratic Speaker of the Colorado House, will make a run for the Aurora-based 6th Congressional District seat in 2014.

Romanoff submitted paper work to the Federal Election Commission on Friday and will visit with constituents at the Adams County and Douglas County Democratic Party meetings Saturday.

He will also make an appearance at the Colorado Freedom Memorial groundbreaking in Aurora.

“If we want to get anything done, we need a Congress that’s capable of constructive action and that’s not the Congress we have,” said Romanoff, who now lives in Aurora.

Romanoff’s announced run for the seat currently held by Republican Rep. Mike Coffman, comes just three months after Coffman defeated former Democratic state Rep. Joe Miklosi by just two percentage points.

Coffman, a three-term incumbent, resides in a district that is among the most competitive in the nation, as it’s divided almost evenly among Democrats, Republicans and unaffilated voters.

In 2010, Romanoff lost the Democratic Senate primary to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in a bitter contest that led to Romanoff selling his home to finance his campaign.

A spokesman for Romanoff said Saturday he will not take any money from PACs or special interest groups in his bid for the 6th District — a pledge his campaign made in 2010.

“Washington is awash of special interest money … I’m going to need individuals to chip in and make contributions. I want to represent the people of the 6th District, not special interests.” Romanoff said.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates joined more than a dozen law enforcement leaders from around the country in a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House Monday to discuss what the federal government can do to help stymie gun violence in communities nationwide.

Oates did not respond to requests for comment from The Post about the meeting with the president, though it sets in motion a complex situation with the police chief and the city of Aurora.

This decision came as the gun debate has intensified and as state and national leaders look to Aurora for its position on gun laws, having been the site of a July mass shooting in a movie theater that left 12 dead and 70 injured.

In brief remarks following the meeting with law enforcement, Obama pressed Congress to work with his administration to pass tougher gun laws that restrict access to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, while requiring universal background checks on all firearms sales.

After years of working for state lawmakers and months spent helping to get them elected, Jovan Melton took the oath of office Wednesday and assumed his post as state representative for House District 41.

“It’s incredible,” said Melton, as he held his eight-month-old daughter, Blake, with his wife Lynne standing near his side. “I’ve celebrated this day as others assumed office and now it’s great to have this opportunity.”

Melton, a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, worked as the campaign manager for state Reps. Angela Williams, D- Denver, and Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora.

Aurora residents with ties to the left-leaning Colorado Fair Share Alliance made the more than 1,800 mile trek to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in the hopes of speaking to GOP Congressman Mike Coffman.

Only problem is that the two-term incumbent from the 6th Congressional District isn’t there.

Crista Laughlin, Wanda Ramey and David Bouchey all made the trip, and from pictures provided in a news release by Colorado Fair Share, appear to be safe as Tropical Storm Isaac heads toward Tampa’s Gulf Coast.

Last week, Colorado Fair Share announced these 6th District residents were heading to Tampa to try and speak with Coffman, and that they’re members of the 99 percent. For months, the group has stressed that Coffman has denied their requests to answer questions about his positions on the middle-class.

A poll released this week by the left-leaning political action committee Democracy for America shows Democrat Joe Miklosi trailing Republican Rep. Mike Coffman by four percentage points in their 6th Congressional District showdown.

The poll, conducted Aug. 7 and 8, surveyed 669 likely voters in the Aurora-based district. If the election were held in that time frame, 40 percent of respondents would vote for Coffman, 36 percent for Miklosi and 5 percent would back unaffiliated candidate Kathy Polhemus.

Moreover, according to the poll, President Obama holds a 52-43 advantage over presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Democracy For America is based in Vermont and founded by Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Miklosi is a part of the group’s “Dean’s Dozen,” which highlights Democratic candidates in what are perceived to be competitive races nationwide.

Congressman Ed Perlmutter joined state Rep. Joe Miklosi over the weekend for a volunteer kickoff event.

According to a news release, about 100 people showed up to canvass and make calls on behalf of Miklosi, an Aurora Democrat, who is challenging Republican Rep. Mike Coffman in the 6th Congressional District.

“We’re building a strong grassroots team who are reaching out to voters and folks are excited about pitching in to help win this,” said Miklosi’s campaign manger Joe Hamill.

It was the campaign’s first event since the tragic Aurora theater shooting, which left 12 dead and 58 wounded. As a result of redistricting, the 6th is now anchored by Aurora — the state’s third largest city.

Rep. Mike Coffman

Meanwhile, Coffman and Republican Rep. Cory Gardner attended the Arapahoe County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner over the weekend.

“After we suspended our campaign for several days (due to the theater shooting), this weekend we started knocking on doors and making phone calls to voters,” said Coffman’s spokesman Owen Loftus.

As of 11 p.m., Jovan Melton was leading Terry Todd for the House District 41 race by a scant 41 votes. The Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder’s Office reported that Melton had 2,255 votes to Todd’s 2,215. That’s well within recount territory if things don’t change.

The district is an open seat in the southwest portion of Aurora and part of unincorporated Arapahoe County.

Todd is the husband of former state Rep. Nancy Todd of Aurora, a Democrat who was termed out and is running for a state Senate seat. Melton had the support of many of the state’s top black politicians, including former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, while Terry Todd had the backing of some big-name Democrats, including Congressman Ed Perlmutter.

The district leans heavily Democratic in voter registration and performance, and because there is no Republican in the general election, the winner of the primary will cruise into the legislature unchallenged, barring a write-in candidate.

U.S. Rep Mike Coffman sits outside a Denver courtroom before testifying in a redistricting lawsuit last October. His new congressional district has attracted at least four Democrats who are thinking of taking him on.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer and Senate Majority Leader John Morse are looking at running in the new Aurora-based 6th Congressional District.

That makes four Democrats so far interested in unseating U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora. The other two, Rep. Joe Miklosi and physician Perry Haney, have officially announced.

Shaffer, of Longmont, is polling in the district, according to House Democrats. Morse, of Colorado Springs, said he is just considering his options.

“We need the best candidate we have who has the best chance of winning,” Morse said. “This is going to be one of the most competitive districts in the country. Doesn’t it make sense to have people who have been in tough races before?”

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.